The Queen’s absence from an important event would normally be big news. But although Camilla, who turned 77 over the summer, pulled out of the ceremony welcoming the Emir of Qatar on Tuesday due to the lingering effects of pneumonia, the eyes of royal watchers were firmly focused on the Princess of Wales.
That’s because it was the first state visit Catherine, 42, has taken part in since she underwent “planned abdominal surgery” almost a year ago. In June, he missed the state visit of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan as he continued treatment for an unidentified form of cancer.
Now that the treatment is over, Catherine was the star attraction at Buckingham Palace in a maroon wrap dress carefully chosen to pay homage to the flag of Qatar, which features maroon and a white jagged band.
She also made a point of wearing pearl earrings and a pearl necklace that had belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth. Pearl hunting – recovering gems from wild mollusks in the sea – is a central part of the oil-rich Gulf state’s history.
Catherine’s appearance at Prince William’s side was a reassuring sign for royalists alarmed by the health problems that have affected the Royal Family this year. Queen Camilla’s revelation that she had not fully recovered from pneumonia was not what they wanted to hear following King Charles’ ongoing cancer treatment.
The Waleses’ joint display offered a stark contrast to Prince Harry’s last solo appearance across the Atlantic.
When the Sussexes moved to California in 2020, they were expected to become a “power couple” with their own “court” of celebrity admirers desperate to share their spotlight.
Instead, as was evident last night when Meghan did not accompany Prince Harry on his visit to New York, they lead increasingly separate work lives.
Meghan was more than 2,000 miles away from Harry at the Paley Honors Fall Gala in Los Angeles.
Last night, when Meghan did not accompany Prince Harry on a charity visit to New York, it became clear that the Sussexes lead increasingly separate work lives.
He was in town (his second solo visit in just over two months) for a party to celebrate the opening of an art exhibition, called Friend, at the Ki Smith Gallery, to raise funds for Sentebale, the African charity that founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
Meghan’s absence was notable because Sentebale, which helps children come to terms with HIV or AIDS, is a cause close to Harry’s heart. Nor did she accompany him when he visited Lesotho with the charity in October.
Last night, the prince’s wife was more than 2,000 miles away, attending the Paley Honors Fall Gala in Los Angeles in support of her friend, filmmaker Tyler Perry.
A royal source told me this week: ‘William and Catherine know their strength is as a couple. “It’s surprising that Harry and Meghan seem to think they are stronger when it comes to their commitments.”
The source added: “Yes, the Prince and Princess of Wales will do things separately, but they will be together when necessary.”
Meghan’s focus appears to be on her cooking and lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard, which she launched to much fanfare in March but has not yet started selling products.
This week I reported in my Daily Mail social diary, Eden Confidential, that she had named herself chief executive of the company. The former actress began interviewing several people for the position nine months ago, but could not find anyone who met her expectations.
Meghan is said to expect American Riviera Orchard, which will focus on home, garden, food and lifestyle items, to be very lucrative.
William and Catherine know their strength is their partnership, a source told me this week.
Since they married in 2018, the Sussexes have reportedly lost at least 18 employees, with nine or more leaving since they moved to California.
It hasn’t been a great week for Harry and Meghan, with a documentary in Germany, where they previously enjoyed great popularity, accusing them of hypocrisy while enjoying an ‘elitist’ lifestyle in the United States.
The programme, Harry: The Lost Prince, includes damning criticism of the couple’s attempts to build a new life as activists and charity campaigners since leaving the Royal Family.
A piercing voice in the documentary is that of former soldier Ben McBean, who lost his left arm and had his right leg amputated above the knee after being seriously injured by a landmine explosion in Afghanistan in 2008.
McBean, who shared a flight home from Afghanistan with Harry, did not hesitate to criticize the prince for his indiscretions about his family in his explosive memoir Spare and his Netflix docu-series.
The former Royal Marine said: “I thought, while he was complaining about his family, and saying something about his brother pushing him or something, I said, ‘Mate, leave it out.’ You and your brother had a few fights. .but family is family, you know.
Harry had described McBean as a “hero” after their flight home together, so his criticism is bound to hurt.
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